Governor Bill Walker announced Thursday that Dean Williams, one of the specialists who conducted the administrative review of the Department of Corrections last fall, as the DOC’s new commissioner.
Walker stated in a release that during the administrative review, Williams identified key areas for improvement in the department.
The governor stated, “Given his extensive experience running institutions and the insight he gained about our correctional facilities while conducting the administrative review, I have full confidence that Dean will revamp the system.”
Williams has more than 30 years working in Alaska’s justice system: twelve years as a juvenile justice officer, five years for the Department of Law, and 14 years as Division of Juvenile Justice superintendent.
When the “troubling” administrative review by Williams and FBI special agent Joe Hanlon was published last fall, Governor Walker requested prior commissioner Ronald Taylor to resign.
Today Governor Walker thanked Walt Monegan for stepping up to serve as interim DOC commissioner. Monegan was known for being fired from his job as Public Safety Commissioner by former governor Sarah Palin’s administration during the “Troopergate” scandal of 2008.
